Question of the week: To loogie or not to loogie

Loogie: (n) A large slimy glob of spit, mixed with nose snot, that is formed by coughing up and hocking whats in your throat. Cooks in restaurants are notorious for making secret deposits on patrons food. (source: The Urban Dictionary)

I have to be honest here, I am not a loogie-er. In fact, I had my first experience with this not too long ago on a hot trail run in San Francisco. It was liberating, and I was left wondering why I had gone through so many years of loogie free running. Why had I waited to discover the joys of a good spit ball until my late 20s?

To give myself a bit of confidence for the next time I venture into loogie land, I’ve compiled a list of quick tips to aid spit execution.

Commitment. If you’re the loogie kind of person, you’re not shy about. Loogies are not for the half committed runner. Don’t show any hesitation, be strong, and send that thing flying!

Look “cool.” This takes some practice, but what you want to do is time the spit with your normal stride and rhythm of your breath. What you’re avoiding here is an awkward twist, and spit that’s out of sync and could result in a botched execution.

Cleanliness. No one likes dried loogie on their face… or on their running partner’s face. Wiping it off is as easy as removing sweat from your forehead. Either wipe it with your hand and transfer it to your shorts, or use your sleeve if you have em. It’ll save you from embarrassing photographs during a race, and your running partners from having to avert their eyes from the spit wad under your chin.

Make sure it’s wet. Dry loogies result in a sticky mess. Adding moisture increases the likelihood that your loogie will come out clean, and land on target without leaving behind gooey remnants.

Look for neighbors. Do you like to be spit on? I didn’t think so. Use caution and courtesy when sending your loogie on its way to avoid an altercation with a fellow runner (or someone cheering you on at the race).

What do you think: is a loogie a right of passage as a runner, or just plane disgusting?